The Economic Times

A 1.5-pound squirrel monkey named Goliath was launched into space in 1961; 35 seconds later, his Atlas E rocket was destroyed

In an unfortunate chapter of space exploration, a squirrel monkey named Goliath found himself amidst America's fierce space race. His ill-fated journey lasted just 35 seconds before a catastrophic rocket explosion robbed him of his mission objective. Designed to understand primate behavior in zero gravity, Goliath's unrestrained condition ultimately led to the loss of vital data, marking a sorrowful moment in the annals of space history.